The Heart Never Lies
by WillowFire12
Summary: Alice has finally returned to Wonderland to be with her true love, the Hatter. But when Alice arrives, she finds out that Hatter has moved on. An unknown enemy wants to take over the crown, Hatter is trying to win her love back, and on top of it all, Alice is called once again to fight as Champion. Can Alice handle everything that is being thrown her way?
1. Chapter 1

~Alice's POV~

I ran through the dense forest, branches scratching my face as I ran past them. I wished I could push them away but I was afraid I would lose focus. If I tripped and fell (which was very likely being as clumsy as I am) I would never make it. Bushes rustled and leaves cracked behind me, confirming that he was still chasing. Luckily, I knew this forest better than he did.

"Come back here!" Hamish snapped, his voice shaking while he ran. Yeah, like I'm going to turn around and go back just because you're getting tired. I'm honestly surprised that he was still keeping up with me. Someone who rarely ever ran shouldn't be this fast.

Somehow, he managed to get close enough to grab the edge of my gown. Hamish tugged and the silk and I stumbled backwards. My heel ripped into one of the ruffles and I fell backwards. Hamish frowned down at me and let go of my gown.

"Alice, this is nonsense. You are keeping people waiting." He smiled and held his hand out to me, but I recoiled.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Hamish. Leave me be." I hastily stood and brushed the dirt off my white dress. Taking his hand would have been like selling my soul to the devil. They can dress me in silks, they can wrestle me into a corset, they can even force me to wear makeup and call me a lady, but there was no way they were going to get me to walk down that aisle. I grimaced in frustration and pushed back my veil as it fell over my eyes.

"Alice, there is nothing you can do. We are going to get married." Hamish stomped his foot like a child. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. I wasn't going. I can't deal with his mood swings and his medical conditions. Besides, I don't love him. There was only one man I loved, and it definitely wasn't Hamish, if you could consider him a man at all.

The only man I loved was the Hatter. Every time I think of Wonderland, he is the first person that comes to mind. I missed him and I wanted to go back and escape my boring life, but the rabbit hole was filled. I had spent countless hours jumping in and out of the hole, but it was no use. I visited the hole every day, praying that it would work. It had to. I promised Hatter I'd go back. _I promised him_.

"Alice! Are you even listening to me?" Hamish groaned. I sighed and looked at him, flashing him my best smile.

"Yes, and I've changed my mind. I'll marry you. Just give me I few minutes to make myself presentable." This pleased Hamish and he walk back towards his manor, where the wedding was being held.

"Alright, but please hurry." He called out over his shoulder and I stayed where I was until he was out of sight. Yeah right. Like I'm actually going to stick around for this. I hiked up the front of my dress and trudged up the hill. I was going to rabbit hole one last time.

If it still wasn't working, I would have no choice but to marry Hamish. Any young woman who wasn't married off yet would be a disgrace to her family, and I didn't want that for my mother. She had become cold, but I knew it was only because she didn't want her family to look bad. Margaret had already married and given birth to a child, Andrew. I, on the other hand, still went by my maiden name.

I pushed away my troubles as I approached the rabbit hole. It was now or never. This would determine how my life would change, either for the best or for the worst. I gulped and kneeled over the rabbit hole, my dress pooling around me.

"Please let this work." I whispered to myself. I took a deep breath and plunged into the hole. I started to fall, but this was normal even when I couldn't get through the rabbit hole. I'd usually fall through darkness for a short time and then I'd fall out of the hole and back to my world. It's confusing and tricked me the first few times. Now I knew not to get my hopes up.

As I fell through complete darkness, I began to doubt it was working. That is, until I was whipped in the head by a large book. My heartbeat sped up and I let out a joyful scream.

"Yeeeessss!" I have never been so happy to be hit by a book in my life. As I continued to fall, I slammed into tables, chairs, a piano, a chandelier, and countless other random items, but the pain was worth it. Finally, I crashed through the ground and landed on the… ceiling? I looked around and realized that I was sitting upside down. Oh yeah. I fell and hit the floor with a thump.

"Ow." I grumbled as I pushed myself up. My viel kept swaying in front of my face so I ripped it off. Looking around, I realized I was in the room with the many doors. In the middle of the room was the glass table, and on the table was the small bottle of pilshaver. I hurried to it and was about to drink it when I remembered my last trip here. I picked up the tiny key and placed on the floor next to the upelkuchen cake. I stared out the bottle for a minute, preparing myself for the dreadful taste.

"Well, bottoms up." I said and tipped the bottle into my mouth. Instantly, I began to cough and my eyes swelled with tears. Ugh, this stuff tastes worse than I remember, I thought. A second later, my body began to shrink. I held the dress to my chest as it became too big to wear. After grabbing the key and a chunk of upelkuchen, I dragged my wedding dress towards the smallest door. I hastily unlocked the door and stepped through, smiling as I finally entered Wonderland.

It was brighter than it was when I first came. The flowers were lively and gossiping about who knows what and the sky was beautiful and blue. Dragons and rocking horseflies chased each other through the air. I couldn't see much of anything else considering my size, but I knew that Wonderland was much better in the hands of the White Queen.

Suddenly, I remembered that I was standing in a clearing practically naked. Quickly, I took two bites of upelkuchen and waited until I began to grow. I tried to take just enough bites so I would grow to my correct size, but my dress ended up being slightly loose on me. I left it like that and just decided to tie my white sash tighter around my ribs. If I took anymore bites, I'd probably be too big.

Once I had pocketed the growing cake and tossed away my horrendous heels, I set off through the Tugley Woods. Hopefully I'll run into the Cheshire Cat. He always helps me get around in Wonderland, even when he can be quite bothersome. Hatter hates him openly because of what happened to his family, but I enjoy Chess's company.

To pass the time and break the silence, I began to sing a song. It was a French song that Margaret sang sometimes when we were younger. She would sit in front of the fire and sing while practicing her crocheting, and I would sit at her feet. Sometimes I'd listen, and other times I'd join in. She always told me my voice was better than hers would ever be, but I knew she was just trying to make me smile. I didn't smile often during those times.

_La mer_  
_Qu'on voit danser le long des golfes clairs_  
_A des reflets d'argent_  
_La mer_  
_Des reflets changeants_  
_Sous la pluie_

It was my favorite part of the song, and I'd ask Margaret to sing those lines over and over. She admitted to me that she had learned it from a man she once fancied when she was sixteen. Then she swore to tell mother of the time I snuck out of the house and swam in a lake with the Chattaway sisters if I ever told a soul that she had fancied a man that was at a lower social class than she was.

Suddenly, a blue mist began to swirl around me, starting at my bare feet and stopping in front of my face. The blue mist was accompanied by a velvet voice and I smiled. A pair of glowing cyan eyes appeared before me. Slowly but surely, the rest of a body became visible. The Cheshire Cat.

"Hello, madame. You appear to be disoriented." He drawled. Chess hadn't changed at all. He still had his chin length midnight blue hair that stood up all over the place. He wore his usual black dress shirt and blue vest with black trousers, and he was barefoot as always. He had long curved ears on the top of his head and a winding tail, both the same color toffee as his skin. He still looked about sixteen, but he was much wiser than I was.

"It's nice to see you again, Chess. Can you take me to Hatter?" Chess stopped floating and tilted his ears.

"I don't believe we are acquainted." Chess puzzled. I laughed, and he frowned. Chess didn't know it was me. I guess when your twenty-two, you change a lot, but I thought they'd still remember my face.

"Chess, it's me. Alice!" Chess furrowed a thin eyebrows and then his eyes grew wide.

"_The_ Alice?"

"The only Alice that falls down rabbit holes." I said, and Chess chuckled before disappearing and reappearing behind me. He circled me fore a moment and stopped to my left.

"Might I ask why you are running around in a wedding dress?" I sighed and started walking forward, Chess following at my side.

"It's kind of a long story."

"We have plenty of time."

"Well, when I went home, I refused a marriage proposal and decided to live my life my way. I traveled the world for three years as an apprentice for Mr. Ascot, my father's old friend. He taught me various trades and skills that I loved, and i learned a few languages. It was great. Unfortunately, my mother still refused to except my decision. As soon as our boat docked, she forced me to marry Hamish, the man I turned down. I tried to resist but, she wouldn't allow me to say no. So I ran away and went down the rabbit hole. I never forgot about Wonderland."

Chess smiled at my last remark. We walked in silence for a while before he spoke.

"Alice, if you weren't forced into marriage, would you have come back?" He looked up at me with his bright eyes. The way he looked at me reminded me of a child who was sad and lost. I could tell he missed, possibly more than the most of the others.

"Of course I would have. I promised Hatter I'd come back to him." Chess ears twitched when I said 'to him'. "Besides, the only reason I didn't was because the rabbit hole was closed."

"Closed? What do you mean? The rabbit hole is never closed off. At least not to you."

"Well it was. I tried so many times to get through, but it would always send me back, almost like it was stuck in a loop. It was strange." Chess pondered the idea for a moment but just shrugged. Typical Chess. If it didn't affect him, it wasn't important. Maybe Mirana knows why.

"Um, Chess, where are we going?"

"To Marmoreal. That's where Tarrant is." He replied cautiously, as if he was hiding something. I wanted to question his tone,but decided against it. Even if there was something he was hiding, he wouldn't tell me anything. After a few minutes, Chess began to float above me.

"I don't intend to be offensive, but you are dreadfully slow, and we won't reach Marmoreal until nightfall at this pace." Chess said. "Grab my hand."

I did and we slowly began to evaporate. I have tried so hard to describe travel with Chess, but I cannot. It was an odd sensation, although it wasn't unpleasant. We landed on our feet (actually i did, Chess just kind of hovered) right in front of the gates of the queen's castle. I gazed up at the crystal white palace in awe. Even though I've been to Marmoreal, it still always amazes me.

"Who goes there?" A guard demanded. He was very tall (or maybe it was just my size) and was a white knight from the Mirana's original army. The other was a red playing card. Their armor looked impenetrable.

"Alice Kingsleigh and the Cheshire Cat..." I looked around a noticed that Chess was gone. Figures.

"Did you say Alice?" The red playing card asked and I nodded. "Right this way." The white knight opened the gates and escorted me towards the castle. I looked up at the sunset sky and grinned. This was my home. This was where I belonged.

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**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like the first chapter. Please, please, please review. Feel free to point out grammar mistakes or anything that you found that was incorrect. I hate when something is spelled wrong. Also, tell me what you think and I'll write another chapter! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So I was really super happy because I signed in today and saw I had a follower and I started freaking out and told my boyfriend and pulled it up on my phone to brag, and then he goes on his phone and pulls up _his_ stories, which each have at least twenty followers. He totally killed my mood with his jerkiness. But ANYWAY, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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~Alice's POV~

Turns out, I had arrived right at the beginning of a ball. Mirana was hosting a ball celebrating the anniversary of Frabjous Day, the day I slayed the Jabberwocky. It's funny how the anniversary of the day I left Wonderland is the day I return. Usually, I try to stay away from balls, but this was a ball in Wonderland. Maybe i could give it a try. Not to mention, Hatter was probably there. Mally, Thackery, and Bayard were probably there too, but most importantly, Hatter.

"Right this way, Champion Alice." The white knight said, calling me out of my reverie, and he led me down a cobblestone path. Cherry blossom trees lined the exterior of the path and as I passed by, their branches moved! They were bending down slowly.

"They are bowing to you, Champion Alice." The knight said, although he sounded as stunned as I was. Quickly, I smiled and curtsied back.

"Welcome back, dear champion." Faint voices swirled around my head and echoed in my ears. The voices were light and airy like wind, and I could only conclude that they belonged to the cherry blossoms. I looked at the knight to see if he had heard them, but it didn't look like he had. Maybe they didn't want him to hear them.

"I'm glad to be back." I whispered.

I smiled and waved at the cherry blossoms before continuing towards the knight. They extended their branches towards me and rustled their flowers as I left. In my world, I would've been sent to an asylum for talking to trees, but here in Wonderland it was common. The knight took me to the west of the castle and up spiral stairs so steep, I'm surprised I made it to the top. I had to pull up the front of my dress just so I wouldn't trip. The knight glanced back at me to check on me and he paused for a moment.

"Champion Alice…um…" The knight trailed off.

"Yes?" I asked curiously. He shuffled from foot to foot before speaking.

"We should probably get you some shoes…" I looked down and blushed when I released I was barefoot. I had almost forgotten about it. "And a pair of stockings…" I rolled my eyes at the remark and trudged up the remainder of the stairs. I did not come to Wonderland to wear stockings. If they wanted to put stockings on me, they'd have to force me. I came to Wonderland for one reason. Ok, I actually came back for a numorous amount of reasons, but the biggest reason of all was Hatter. I couldn't wait to see him.

Finally, we reached a white wooden door. The knight knocked on the door twice and waited. A few seconds later, the door opened and the White Queen walked out. Actually, more like glided out. Her arms were poised in the air and her smile was bright but maintained. Mirana was the perfect image of control, and that's what her subjects loved about her.

"Your Majesty, the Champion has returned." The knight bowed to the queen before retreating down the stairs. The White Queen looked confused for a moment and came closer. She peered into my eyes and suddenly smiled wider.

"Alice! It really is you. My, you have changed a lot." She took my hand and pulled me through the door. I stumbled into the room, her unexpected strength startling me. She laughed and closed the door behind her. Then she spun around, her hands on her hips.

"I would love to speak with you and know what you've been doing all these years, but I'm due to be gliding down the staircase in five minutes. And you, my dear, are due to be gliding down that staircase in ten. So that leaves me...two minutes to find you a dress, two minutes to do your hair, and one minute to get out there myself. You don't really need makeup since you have a natural look. Hmm..." Mirana walked away and threw open the doors to a wardrobe closet and skimmed through an extremely large amount of dresses.

"Oh, yes, by the way, this the Fitting Room. My seamstress is at the ball." She muttered from inside the closet.

I just sat down on a cushioned chair and gapped at her. It amazed me how fast she adjusted to my arrival and had already planned my announcing. I guess when you are a queen, you have to be quick on your feet. Still, she managed to do it gracefully, which is something even the women in my world couldn't pull off. Not even my mother or Margaret. It was refreshing to know they weren't as perfect as they thought.

"Aha!" She exclaimed excitedly. She drew back from the wardrobe and held up her choice. The gown was a sky blue with glittering rhinestones that sparkled when it moved. Gray embroidery wrapped around the breasts of the dress and on the extra layer of silk around the waist. The layer of silk extended to half of the dress and was also embroidered at the edges. All in all, the dress was beautiful.

"I love it." I sighed. Mirana smiled and shoved it into my arms.

"Good, because your going to wear whether you like it or not." She said and I laughed. While I struggled to put on the dress (it's a lot harder than it seems, trust me), Mirana rummaged through another closet until she found a pair of silver satin flats. She knew how much I hate heels. Once she pulled them out, she came over and helped me lace up the back. Then she hussled me into a chair in front of a vanity mirror.

It only took her a minute and a half to take my her out of the crazy updo my mother concocted, tame my tangled curls, and pull them away from my face with two glimmering barrettes. After slipping my feet into the flats, I stood up and faced Mirana.

"Thank you, Mirana." I said kindly. When she was with close friends, she allowed them to use her first name and would be herself. It was hard to believe that she kept her bubbly and down to earth personality under wraps. I'm sure her people would adore her all the same.

"Your welcome. Now! My presence will be announced in...a minute in a half! I have to go! Go ahead and head towards the ballroom and be ready when we announce you!" Mirana glided out of the room and down the hall. I sighed and stared at myself in the mirror. For the first time, I found myself worrying about how I looked. What if the Hatter thought I wasn't pretty enough? What if I did something stupid and embarrassed myself?

"Come now, Alice, where's your muchness?" I whispered to my reflection. I was acting like a scared, ditsy girl. I sounded like one of the Chattaway sisters. "This is ridiculous, you've slayed a dragon for god's sake!" I glared at myself in the mirror. A knock sounded at the door Mirana had just left throughand one of the queen's maidens entered.

"Champion Alice. Are you ready?" I nodded and stood, pushing away all my fears. I'll just tell him how I feel about him after the ball. I smiled to myself and felt a new level of confidence. I straightened out my gown before I walked out. The woman who came to get me led my down a corridor and towards two frosted glass doors. I could hear the musicians playing and the crowd murmuring to each other.

"The White Queen is calling you her mystery guest. She hasn't told anyone you're here yet, so when you go in, everyone will be surprised." The woman said. She looked about my age and had a boyish black hair. Her gown was a pearly white with a black lace corset.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Kathryn Giovanne." She replied and extended her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Champion Alice." I took her hand and shook it.

"Please, just call me Alice." She looked a bit shocked, but nodded.

"Ok, then you just call me Kate. Kathryn is too boring and formal. And I hate anything too fancy." She made a face and I giggled. Finally, another woman who understood how I felt.

"Me too! Some woman are appalled when I say this, but I am highely against stockings and corsets. Corsets just aren't worth the pain and effort it takes to strangle them on." I said and she laughed, agreeing with me. She opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it when we heard trumpets.

We turned our attention to the double doors just in time to hear Mirana announce that here mystery guest has arrived. The double doors slowly began to open and the musicians played a bit quieter. Even the musicians were curious of who the queens mystery guest was. Kathyrn stepped away from the door so I was the only person they saw.

I stepped forward and looked around, searching for the only face that truly matter to me.

"I present to you my dear Champion, Alice!" Mirana announced, and the crowd went wild. Some people were cheering, some were waving and smiling, some were even crying (with joy, I hope). I spotted Bayard and his wife and pups at the bottom of the staircase, eagerly waiting to greet me. I saw Thackery trying shove his way through the crowd, and I saw Mallymkun, the doremouse, raiding the snack table. Still not finding who I was looking for, I slowly made my way down the staircase.

Please don't trip, please don't trip, please don't trip, I silently begged myself. I had a huge reputation for falling, and today was not the day for that. Falling right now would be so embarrassing. I tried my best to smile and walk without doing anything stupid. Thank god I wasn't wearing heels right now. I fought the urge to look around while I walked, afraid I would jinx myself.

And suddenly, I saw a face that stood out from the rest of the crowd. Hatter. His eyes were locked on mine, and I smiled at him and waved. He waved back and tried to walk down the stairs a little bit faster, but god, I had a long way to go. Still, I kept my eyes on him. Like many of the people in Wonderland, he hadn't changed at all. His curly black hair was still the same length, his skin was still as pale as ever, and he still wore his colorful hat.

He was all I could see. Well, that is, until another woman came into view. Her hair was brown and her eyes were green and she was beautiful. She was a goddess. And that goddess glided right over to Hatter and kissed him. On his lips.

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**A/N: Hey, hoped any of you people who might be reading my story liked this chapter. I try to update this story consistently so no one loses interest. I might even write the next chapter tomorrow! And you guys, feel free to review and perhaps, give advice and feedback? But yeah, hope you liked it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**You have NO idea how pissed I am right now. My mom won't let me use my laptop because she has to use it for "work" (aka. Netflix movies, yeah her history says it all) and won't let me have it back. Right now I'm typing while she's at work. *Sigh* Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

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Hatter's POV

_I'll be back before you know it._

_You won't remember me…_

_Of course I will! How could I forget?_

That was five years ago. Five years ago, Alice had slayed the Jabberwocky, saved Underland, and…stolen my heart. Those years without her were agonizing and painful, to the point of complete madness (which is saying something, because I was already half way there). At first, I tried to go back to the way things had been before, but I realized it was nearly impossible.

Even before she had arrived in Underland, most if my time was spent waiting for her to return. Maybe I could go back to that, I thought to myself one day. She said she would be back soon. She promised she would come back to me. And I believed her. So I sat at my table, like I had always done, waiting. And waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Mallymkun tried to convince me to leave the tea table, but I refused repeatedly.

_Hatta, ya can't sit hear all day mopin' about._

_I am not moping. I am patiently waiting for Alice. She'll be back at any moment you know._

_Tha' shouldn't stop ya from livin' ya life. The queens throwin' a ball, and I'm makin' ya come._

_No thank you, Mally. What if Alice comes back and I'm not here to greet her?_

Alice was my everything. I loved her, and I was more than willing to wait until she came back. I sat at my tea table, waiting, for almost two years before the White Queen came to me with heartbreaking news.

"_Tarrant, my dear friend." Her voice dripping with sympathy. I was seated at the head of my tea table, staring at the tablecloth's swirled patterns. I didn't look up._

"_I have something important I have to tell you, Tarrant." I perked up at this, longing in my eyes._

"_Has Alice returned?" I asked excitedly. Instantly, my entire aura brightened and I smiled, something I hadn't done in a while._

"_No, Tarrant." I sighed, and slumped back into my seat. "That is what I've been meaning to discuss with you." I held up my hand to stop her from continuing._

_"I am perfectly fine. I am waiting for my Alice to return because she promised me that she would and if i'm not here when she gets here then she will be very dissappointed and might go to that blasted cat before she comes to me and then I might miss her and-_

_"Hatter." Mirana sighed. I squeaked the last word and coughed awkwardly._

_"Sorry." I smiled sheepishly and began tapping a upbeat rhythm against the tablewith my fingers. Mirana sat down next to me and took hold of my hands, stopping them from their skittish tapping._

_"Tarrant, Alice...she isn't coming back." I stared blankly at her for a moment before I processed what she had just said. And when I did, I was hit with a wave of emotions so strong, I cringed. Pain, Love, Sorrow, Anger. Something in me snapped and I rose from the table. I could feel my eyes darken as I stared down at Mirana. _

_"Ye lie!" I bellowed in my heavy brogue. I trembled as I felt the madness taking over, desperately trying to push it back. Trying to lock it back up and before something bad happened, but I couldn't. Alice had already broken the lock._

_"Tarrant-_

_"No!" Mirana stood immediently and took a step back as I stepped forward. I looked into her eyes and saw fear. And it hurt me. I regained control of myself and collapsed to the ground. My eyes swelled with tears, but none spilled over. I refused to cry. I refused to cry for Alice. Mirana hugged my shoulders and rubbed them up and down._

_"I'm sorry, Tarrant. The Oraculum predicts a war, but Alice isn't the Champion. I sent Nivens to the Aboveland to search for Alice, but he says she left England almost two years ago. And..."_

_Mirana paused and I glanced up at her. She looked away quickly, but not before I saw guilt in her eyes. She was hiding something. I sighed and pulled away from her._

_"Just tell me, Mirana." She hesitated before speaking._

_"Her mother and another woman were in the garden when Nivens went looking for her. They were discussing a wedding." Mirana paused for a moment. "They were planning Alice's wedding." I froze and my entire body went numb. She didn't love me. My only true love did not feel for me the way I felt for her. My heart felt like it would burst. I felt empty._

_"She promised." I whispered._

I went back to throwing tea parties, making hats, and taking walks in the garden. Yet, I still felt incomplete. No matter what I did to ignore this feeling, at the end of the day, it would always come back. That is, until I met Heather. It was Mally's unbirthday, and I was buying her a cake. She had told me that all she wanted for her unbirthday was a perfectly round cake that looked like the sun. I wasn't entirely sure why she wanted a round cake, or where I'd get it, but I was determined to find it.

After an hour of searching, I stumbled upon a bakery with a very unique cake on display. It was a replica of the White Queen's palace. The frosting was the purest white and the cherry blossoms delicately designed. Surely someone that skilled at baking would have a round cake, I thought to myself. Hastily, I rushed into the shop and strode up to the counter. Leaning against the display counter was a beautiful girl. Her golden brown hair rested on her shoulder and her soft green eyes were trained on the cookbook in her delicate hands. She was tall, almost as tall as I was, but strangely, it made her even more attractive. I approached her carefully and cleared my throat.

_"Madame." I greeted her politely and she looked up at me, startled. She closed her book and set it on the counter before turning to me and extending her hand. I took her hand and shook it, marveling at how firm her grip was. My mother once told me that a woman with a firm grip was a woman of strength and confidence. Just like Alice, I thought sorrowfully. I quickly chased the thought away when i realized the girl was speaking to me._

_"Hello." She said in a husky voice, and my heart skipped a beat. This confused me because this only happened when Alice spoke to me. "My name is Heather." I smiled and ignored the jittery feeling in my stomach._

_"Tarrant Hightopp." I removed my hat and bowed slightly._

_"Hightopp? I know who you are!" She exclaimed. She went behind the counter and pulled out a small fedora. The hat was black with intricate floral designs that curled around the center and dissappeared into the green ribbon wrapped around the base. Three fairly large peacock feathers were pinned to the ribbon along with a green jem and a large blue jem. I'd have to say that hat was one of my finner works._

_"It was a gift." She traced her thumb over the brim and smiled thoughtfully. "My mother gave it to me a few years ago."_

_"Well your mother has excellent taste." I teased and she laughed. Her laugh was slightly deep and throaty, but it suited her. Suddenly I recalled why I was at the shop in the first place._

_"Madame, do you know where the owner of this shop is. I need a cake for a friend. It is her unbirthday." Heather laughed and walked behind the counter, putting the hat back where it belonged._

_"I am the shop owner." My eyes grew wide. She was the shop owner? She looked so young to be that talented. Each cake on display demonstrated an amount of skill I hadn't seen anywhere else. It was obvious that this was her trade, similar to how hat making was mine._

_"Really? You are very talented." I complimented, and she blushed. "Do you have any round cakes?" Heather looked puzzled for a moment._

_"Round cakes?"_

_"I know it sounds ridiculous, but Mally wants an unbirthday cake that looks like the sun." Heather frowned, and then her eyes lit up. She reached under her counter and pulled out a scetchbook. She leaned forward a little and pulled out a pencil as well. I began to describe the cake to here and she wrote down everything i told her. Finally, I had told her everything sbout the cake._

_"When do you need the cake?" She asked._

_"In two days." Heather nodded and jotted it down on her book. Once she had finished, she stood up straight and came around the counter to show me her sketchbook. She had sketched the cake I had described._

_"Something like this?"_

_"It's perfect. I'll pick it up when you're ready." I told her and thanked her again. "How much will it cost?"_

_She shook her head and tucked her sketchbook into her dress pocket._

_"I'll make it for free." I instantly began to decline her offer, but she waved it off. "Please, it is the least I can do for a handsome hatter such as yourself." I fought the urge to blush._

_"If you insist, madame. A man can not deny a woman of such beauty. I must be off. Will I see you at the unbirthday celebration. It is being held at my tea table." Heather hesitated before nodding. I smiled and turned to leave._

_"Oh, and Tarrant?" I looked over my shoulder._

_"Yes?"_

_"Just call me Heather."_

Heather and I bonded almost immediently after that. I took her with me on my walks and visited her at her shop. Sometimes she would visit me when I was making hats and bring me cupcakes. She was sweet and caring, and for a long time, I felt happier. The void that was reserved for Alice was never filled, and I often ached for her return, but I became content. After a time, the ache lessened.

Now, as I stare at my love as she glides down the staircase, the ache has returned, even stronger than before. She is beautiful as always, and has grown alot since I last saw her. Her beautiful blues eyes were brighter, her golden locks were longer, and she glowed with a radiant muchness so strong, it made me question my own. I could see that she was concentrating hard on something, because whenever she was concentrating, she wrinkles her nose in the cutest way. Finally, our eyes meet and I feel as though I am staring into the eyes of Wonderland itself.

She waves at me and smiles brightly, starts gliding down the stairs a little faster, and my heart races. I wave back enthusiastically and try not to get ahead of myself. As far as I'm concerned, she is married. I strongly doubted that she would have an interest in me. Not when there were men in her Upperland that were wealthy, good looking, and, of course, sain.

Alice's eyes were locked with mine as she made her way down the staircase, both of us not daring to look away. I was so distracted that I almost didn't notice Heather when she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. In fact, I am ashamed to admit, I had forgotten that she was standing next to me, holding my hand, when Alice arrived. Heather smiled at me and walked away to go to speak with a friend. When I looked back at Alice, I was shocked to see that she looked horrified, surprised, and...hurt?

I tried to get her to look me in the eyes, but she wouldn't. Her smile had dissappeared and she walked down the rest of the steps, avoiding my intense gaze. In my heart, I knew that she was hurt, and although I'm not sure why, I felt guilty.

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**A/N: Soooo...how was it? I hope it was good enough. I'm not used to Hatter's POV. With Alice, everything that she says comes naturally to me, but with Hatter, I feel...limited. Anyway, I hope you liked it! Review, follow, blah blah blah. You guys just do your thing, and I'll do mine. And I'm going to have to start writing on weekends, because thats the only time my mom lets her guard down.**


	4. Chapter 4

Many different people crowded around me at the base of the stairs, shouting things and cheering, but they were all just a blur. Colors swirled around me, but I couldn't focus on anything. Nothing except the pain I felt when I saw that girl kiss Hatter. Who was she? My confidence was lost when she appeared.

Bayard's pups leaped and nipped at my ankles, but I didn't even flinch. Mally scurried up my dress and stood on my shoulder, but I didn't even say hello. Nothing seemed to reach me.

"Alice?" A voice called out and I slowly turned in its direction. Mirana stood next to me, smiling, but underneath her calm smile, she looked confused. "Are you alright?" The crowd hadn't noticed how distracted I was, for which I was glad.

"I'm fine, your Majesty." I sighed and turned back to the cheerful Wonderlanians. Time to do what you do best, I thought to myself. I put on a bright smile and stepped into the crowd. I was instantly bombarded with questions and greeting, but I took them one by one. My smile almost faded when I caught sight of Hatter heading towards me, but luckily, someone steered me away from him, telling me something about tasting fruits for them.

"Alice! You're late for tea!" Thackery screamed at me and threw a cupcake, which I just barely dodged. "Dreadfully late for tea! Three years late!"

I kissed his head, which stopped his ranting immediately. He looked shocked and bashful. Thackery quickly hopped away and disappeared into the crowd. Mally laughed, startling me. I had forgotten she was sitting on my shoulder.

"Mally!" I exclaimed. "I missed you."

"Yeah, yeah. I sorta missed ye' too. But don't let that git to your pretty little head, Alice." Mally snapped with her familiar accent full of attitude. I nodded and she leaped off of my shoulder and onto a table with different colored punches. I didn't see Chess anywhere, but that was expected. He doesn't really show up for parties unless there was bad news being told. I wish Chess was here, I thought. He was my best friend, besides the Hatter of course. Even with his new...partner, he would always be my closest friend.

For the next hour, I sat at a smaller throne next to Mirana while people asked me questions. Where were you? What were you doing? What is the Aboveland like? Are you planning to stay? I tried to choke down the sorrow in my heart and answer the best I could. Finally, the questions ceased and it was time to dance. A band of animals took out their instruments and prepared to play a song.

As soon as the dancing was announced, a huge crowd of men gathered around me, leaving a lot of other women jealous and partnerless. I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. The huge mass pushed and shoved at each other, struggling to be first in line. I don't recall asking to dance in the first place. Mirana saw this and quickly took control.

"Calm down, men. Don't crowd our champion. She will choose a man to dance with." She said lightly. I will? They all spread into single file line, waiting for my decision. Even the other women watched, curious on who I would choose. I could see Hatter in the background, standing next to that woman. My eyes wandered until I remembered that I was keeping everyone waiting. Slowly, my eyes searched for at least a semi familiar face. Finally I found one. Smiling, I pointed at a man (well, boy) with chin length blue hair and toffee skin. Chess grinned wider (if it was even possible) and took my hand. He led me to the dance floor and the music began to play. All the others dispersed, disappointed, and went to find a partner.

"So, Alice, how has your Wonderland been so far." He asked, and took me by my hip. It was slightly humoring considering the fact that I was taller than he was. I clasped one of his hand and put my other on his waist. We began to dance across the dance floor, accompanied by other couples. I took a moment to consider my answer. What I had originally come for was...taken, but I still loved being here.

"It's refreshing." I admitted. "Things didn't go exactly as planned, but I would never go back to my world. This is my home." Chess nodded in understanding and continued grinning. He lifted his arm and twirled me the best he could. I giggled and went under his arm before joining hands with him again.

"What were your original plans?" Chess asked and I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You said that things didn't go as planned. What were you originally planning to happen?" Unintentionally, I glanced at Hatter, who was dancing with his woman. She was laughing at something he said and dancing gracefully with him. Suddenly, I wished that I had taken the dance lessons my mother pressured me into. It seemed that Hatter wanted a real woman, with proper manners and poise. She even had breasts, while I was still flat chested. Chess followed my gaze and glanced at me knowingly.

"Oh." He breathed. We were silent for a little until a man approached us, smiling kindly.

"Mind if I cut in?" Chess looked at me and I nodded. He backed away, bowed, and disappeared. The man took his place and we began to dance. I studied him while we did. His hair was white like snow and his eyes were a chocolate brown. He was handsome, with sharp features and high cheekbones. He was even complete with a set of dimples. Wow, I thought to myself. He wants to dance with me?

"Champion Alice?" I snapped out of my thoughts and realized he had been talking to me. I blushed and apologized.

"What were you saying?" He didn't look offended at all. In fact, he looked amused.

"I said that you look lovely." His voice was deep and manly, and when he spoke, it his chest vibrated against mine. I blushed even more and smiled genuinely.

"Thank you. You do too." I replied, then mentally slapped myself. Really Alice?

"I mean, you look handsome, not lovely. Of course you don't look lovely, since your a man and all." I rambled and he chuckled. I blushed and hung my head a little. "I'm sorry, I'll stop talking now."

"Oh, please, don't stop now. Your an interesting person. I find you intriguing." We swayed side to side until the music sped up to this bouncy music. Everyone instantly began to form a two lines. Girls on one side and men on the other. Each partner was facing each other. Even Mally and Thakery were lined up across from each other.

"What is this?" I asked the man as he led me to the two lines.

"All partners line up across from each other and at a cue from the band, start bouncing. Each partner will take turns dancing however they want down the aisle."

"However they want?" I asked and he nodded.

"How do I know what to do?"

"You don't. It'll just come to you." He replied. We lined up across from each other and all looked towards the band. The lead singer pumped his fist in the air, and everyone cheered and started bouncing. The first couple danced down the aisle, kicking their feet with their arms crossed over their chests. We all hooted and cheered while they went down. They took new spots at the end of the two lines and the next couple went down. Next was Hatter and his partner. Hatter did his futterwacken while she did a weird dance that involved snapping and jumping side to side. I tried not to hurt so much when I watched them.

I watched the other couples go and tried to get a feel of the dance style here. I didn't see any specific similarities besides the fact that they're all spontaneous. No one looks the same and everyone is carefree. Another couple went and we were next. The man I was dancing with made eye contact with me and smiled. I smiled back and mouthed a question to him. What are you going to do, I mouthed and he shrugged. I laughed and bounced along with the rest. Finally, our turn came and we danced down the center.

When he said it would come to you, he was right. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it. I just danced. I was twirling down the line, tapping my toes on the ground like an Indian and letting my arms flow like water. My partner smiled at me and took my hand, spinning me in circles while I did my dance. Everyone cheered and whistled until we took our places at the end of the lines. The rest of the night, we had fun. Even Mirana joined us, dancing with Nivens. As always, she was graceful.

Soon, the night ended and everyone began to go home. They all said their farewells (a few men even kissed my hand) and left. Soon, the ballroom was nearly empty, except for the close friends of Mirana who chose to stay a little longer. The man I danced with smiled at me and bowed.

"It looks like it is time for me to bid you farewell, Champion." I smiled and stuck out my hand. He looked a little confused and took my hand to kiss it, but I shook my head and laughed.

"I'm trying to shake your hand." I laughed and he smiled sheepishly and shook my hand. "What is your name, by the way?"

"Gabriel Defraux." He replied and I tried to remember that in case I met him again.

"Alright, Gabriel, well it was nice to meet you."

"And you, Champion Alice."

"I prefer to be just Alice." He nodded and left. I sighed, finally relaxing a bit, and looked around. There was trash and food everywhere, littering the floor and plenty of punch spill. Thackery collected smashed cupcakes from off the floor just so he could throw them all over again. Mirana was instructing the servants where to store away the decorations and what they should clean. Suddenly, I spotted Kate, who was sitting in a chair by the stairs. I plopped down on a chair next to her, purposely slouching.

"How did you like the ball, Champ- Alice?" Kate asked, attempting to call me by my name. I smiled and blew a strand of blonde hair that had fallen in my face. One of my barrettes was missing, probably because of my wild dancing.

"Well, that was definitely eventful." I sighed and Kate nodded in agreement. "Kate?"

"Yes?"

"What is there to do here? I mean, as a job?" I asked. I wanted to make myself useful here and earn money for a home. I knew I could always stay with Mirana, but it didn't feel right. And I would get bored if I sat around doing nothing everyday. If I'm going to stay in Wonderland, I'm going to need a purpose. I'm also going to have to start calling it by it's real name, Underland. Yet, the name Underland isn't nearly as cheerful as the world is.

"Well, whatever your good at." Kate replied. "I'm good at sowing and designing, so I'm the palace seamstress. Thackery is amazing at cooking, although he's kind of out of it, Tarrant is a natural hatter, seeing as that's his trade, and Heather is a talented baker."

"Who's Heather?"

"Tarrant's, uh, significant other. His lover I guess." That's what her name was. Jealousy flared inside me, but I forced it down. I didn't have the right to be jealous.

"You guess?"

"Yeah. No one knows if they'll ever get married or not. They don't live together, they're just seeing each other." Kate said and shrugged. We sat and chatted about other things in Wonderland before Mirana glided over to us, looking a little tired. She still looked perfect, as always, but you could tell she was ready to call it a night and go to bed. The ballroom was still being cleaned, but they could do without her help.

"Champion, a room has been prepared for you. Kathryn can show you where it is. I'll see you tomorrow, Alice." She said goodnight and left. Kate made a face at her full name but led me back up the stairs. The stairs that began the war that was being fought in the pit of my stomach. Tarrant was already taken, and I didn't know if I should pretend I had no feelings for him and continue how we were, or just try to limit the time we're together. Both, I didn't want to do. I never thought that Tarrant was interested in anyone. I didn't even think he'd be interested in me. I guess I was right about something.

The room Kate led me to was white. The floors were white, the walls were white, the bathroom was white. The dressers and bed was black but that was it. It was rather...plain. I thanked Kate and she said goodnight. On the bed were a set of white pajamas that I got dressed into. I turned off the lamp that glowed next to the bed and laid down under the sheets. And for the first time all day, I felt the urge to cry. Hot tears leaked from my eyes and landed in dark drops on my pillow. All day I had pretended to be fine, when really, I wasn't. I could have a little fun and dance and sing, but at the end of the day, the man I loved was still with someone else.

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**I HAVE RETURNED! God I hate school. It screwed up my whole literature life. All my books have fallen behind. When I say all my books, I mean the one I have here and the ones I have on this fabulous site called WATTPAD. If you want to check out my books on Wattpad, just search the author SmexySinowa. **

***CAUTION***

**For all you crazy homophobes, their boyxboy books. So if that freaks you out, DONT READ THEM. And if you read them and find that it's not your style, please do not leave negative comments. It makes me sad :( **

**Anyway! Next chapter might be some time this weekend or next week Wednesday (Does anyone sound out Wed-Nes-Day in their head when they right/type that? I do.) That's a promise. Anyway, to any who are still reading and still interesting, thanks for waiting patiently, and I always respond to Comments and Reviews, when I have the time, so please leave some! To newcomers, WELCOME! To the dark side...Mwahahahaha! **

**WE HAVE FRESH COOKIES ON THE DARK SIDE**


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